Punctal plugs for the delivery of active agents

Abstract

The invention provides punctal plugs for the delivery of active agent to one or both of the tear fluid of the eye and to the nasolacrimal duct. The plugs of the invention have a body, a reservoir contained within the body, and optionally a collarette. The reservoir has at least one opening and contains a polymeric material and at least one active agent.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority from provisional application U.S. Ser. No. 60 / 805,378 filed on Jun. 21, 2006.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to devices suitable for delivering substances to one or more of the eye, nose and throat. In particular, the invention relates to punctal plugs for delivery of at least one active agent.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Human tears are secreted by the lacrimal gland and flow across the surface of the eye to a shallow pool, known as the lacrimal lake, located where the eyelids come together at their inner ends. From there, the tears drain through small openings in each of the upper and lower eyelids, termed the superior lacrimal punctum and the inferior lacrimal punctum, respectively. From the superior and inferior puncta, the tears pass into each of the superior and inferior lacrimal canaliculus, respectively, which are duct-like pathways that lead to the lacrimal sac. The lacrimal sac is the ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0035]The numerous punctal plugs of the invention each have various features and advantages. For example, certain punctal plugs have a body with a first end, a second end, and a lateral surface extending between the two ends. The lateral surface preferably has an outer diameter that is substantially circular in shape and, thus, the body preferably has a cylindrical shape. A portion of the lateral surface of certain of the punctal plugs preferably has an outer diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the remainder of the lateral surface. With reference to FIG. 2, the enlarged portion 22 of the lateral surface anchors or secures the punctal plugs in the lacrimal canaliculus. The enlarged portion can be any size or shape, and can be present on any part of the lateral surface, so long as the enlarged portion at least partially anchors the punctal plug in the lacrimal canaliculus. Preferably, the enlarged portion is at one end of the plug. Conveniently, the enlarged portion may take the shape of an inverted triangle having a flattened apex, as shown in FIG. 1, may have an untapered, body rounded at the end, or may have a tapered shape at one end with a rounded point as shown in FIG. 10. One ordinarily skilled in the art will recognize that any of a wide variety of shapes are possible.

Problems solved by technology

Active agents for ocular diseases and disorders may be administered orally or by injection, but such administration routes are disadvantageous in that, in oral administration, the active agent may reach the eye in too low a concentration to have the desired pharmacological effect and their use is complicated by significant, systemic side effects, while injections pose the risk of infection.

The majority of ocular active agents are currently delivered topically using eye drops which, though effective for some applications, are inefficient.

When a drop of liquid is added to the eye, it overfills the conjunctival sac, the pocket between the eye and the lids, causing a substantial portion of the drop to be lost due to overflow of the lid margin onto the cheek.

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